German Midwife Pay Deal Doubles One-to-One Birth Care Share
Osnabrück – October 31, 2026 -- The share of births with one-to-one midwife care during the key phase of labor has doubled from one in four to one in two since Germany's nationwide midwife services contract took effect, according to the statutory health insurers' association GKV-Spitzenverband.
Stefanie Stoff-Ahnis, deputy chair of the GKV-Spitzenverband, told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung that the result shows higher quality in care. The contract entered into force on November 1, 2025, and governs care by roughly 18,000 freelance midwives across Germany. According to the insurers, it has cut bureaucracy and raised pay.
Hourly rates rise 33% outside hospitals and more than double in clinics
For out-of-hospital work, hourly pay increased by just over 33% to about 74 euros. For one-to-one care in hospitals, the rate more than doubled to 85.40 euros per hour.